PINA

By Joey Tau and Talei Luscia Mangioni Earlier this month, the Japanese government announced plans to discharge 1m tonnes of radioactive wastewater accruing since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 into the Pacific Ocean. To Pacific peoples, who have carried the disproportionate human cost of nuclearism in our region, this is yet another act of catastrophic and irreversible trans-boundary harm...

The Government of Vanuatu through the Ministry of Health along with satellite operator Kacific Broadband Satellites Group and its service provider in Vanuatu, 3 Link Communications, have begun to roll out the Health Project, a programme to bring fast broadband to health clinics and communities across the Republic of Vanuatu. Vanuatu’s Minister of Health, Silas Bule Melve said, “We are...

In the true Pacific way, Fijian Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama has called on fellow Pacific Leaders to strengthen ties and have greater understanding and amicable solutions on critical issues of the region. While delivering his official remarks at the virtual dialogue between the Forum Troika Plus and Micronesian Presidents Forum Monday, Prime Minister Bainimarama commended the Micronesian Leaders for...

This statement was originally published on hrw.org on 31 March 2021. The Papua New Guinea government has failed to live up to commitments on women’s rights, children’s rights, and police accountability, Human Rights Watch said in a recent submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Papua New Guinea’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights situation before the...

This statement was originally published on bytesforall.pk on 16 April 2021. Bytes For All strongly condemns the arbitrary suspension of various social media platforms in Pakistan on Friday. As per a notification by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), on the directions of the Ministry of Interior, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Telegram are being blocked during 11am to 3pm to...

This statement was originally published on freedomforum.org.np on 17 April 2021. Freedom Forum is alarmed over the harassment of journalists who have been reporting about a secret agreement between a foreign official and the prime minister. Security forces raided the residence of journalist Babin Sharma and his office for sharing a news story originally published by the Ujyaalo News Network on...

This statement was originally published on rsf.org on 20 April 2021. The 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows that journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organisation. This year’s Index, which evaluates the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories annually,...

Super Rugby is about to get a Pacific injection with Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua officially confirmed as entrants in a new competition next year. New Zealand Rugby confirmed the addition of the two Pacific franchises in a new competition for 2022 at a media conference this afternoon after months of rumours swirling around their involvement. “In a significant step forward...

he Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) today welcomed New Zealand Rugby’s announcement that it would award a conditional license to the Fijian Drua to participate in the Super rugby competition from 2022 onwards. Although still subject to finalisation of private capital funding, FRU is in advanced stages of discussions and remains confident that it will finalise funding from one of those...

Samoa’s Electoral Commissioner, Faimalōmatumua Mathew Lemisio confirmed today that some voters voted twice in last weeks’ elections and they will face legal action. Double voting surfaced during the official count for Sagaga 2 constituency that started yesterday and was put on hold as officials tried to sort out the double voting issue. Faimalōmatumua could not give the actual number of those...